Alcohol Harm Reduction Strategy

Lord Avebury: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What pilots the Department of Health has commissioned on targeted screening and brief interventions in accordance with the Government's Alcohol Harm Reduction Strategy, to ascertain whether and how the various models can provide value for money in terms of cost savings to the National Health Service; and why there is no coherent alcohol strategy for hospitals.

Lord Warner: The Department of Health has completed a tendering process and has selected a consortium, led by Newcastle University and St. George's Medical School, University of London, to operate a programme of pilots (now referred to as trailblazers). This will let the Government know whether and how the various models of alcohol screening and brief interventions can provide clinically effective and cost-effective interventions within the National Health Service.
	The contract has still to be finalised, but the pilots will operate in three settings: primary care, accident and emergency and criminal justice settings. Current evidence indicates that alcohol screening and brief interventions can be effective in some hospital settings such as accident and emergency, fracture clinics and facial injury clinics, but the evidence is inconclusive for other general hospital wards.
	The department recently launched Alcohol Misuse Interventions: Guidance on Developing a Local Programme of Improvement. This provides those responsible for the planning of health services, including hospitals, with guidance to improve local arrangements for delivering alcohol interventions.

Alcohol-related Crime

Lord Avebury: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether any estimates of the annual cost of alcohol-related crime and disorder following the enactment of the Licensing Act 2003 should be compared with the figure of up to £7.3 billion given in the Cabinet Office Strategy Unit's interim analytical report on alcohol-related harm of 2002.

Baroness Scotland of Asthal: Such estimates should be compared with the figure given in the Cabinet Office Strategy Unit's interim analytical report on alcohol-related harm only if the same methodology and comparable data sources are used. This would not however, identify changes as a result of the Licensing Act 2003 distinct from changes resulting from other influences. The Government take alcohol-related crime and disorder seriously and through the Licensing Act 2003 introduced a range of new closure powers and increased penalties to enable swift action to address problems. The impact of the Act on levels of crime and disorder will be evaluated in due course, though this will not include an analysis of the cost of alcohol-related crime and disorder. To date, there is no clear evidence that levels of alcohol-related crime and disorder have changed as a result of the Act.

Anti-social Behaviour: Westminster

Lord Patten: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they have had any discussions with the Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police about aggressive begging in (a) Victoria Street opposite New Scotland Yard; and (b) the environs of Westminster Cathedral.

Baroness Scotland of Asthal: The Anti-Social Behaviour Unit has not had direct contact with the Metropolitan Police about specific begging hotspots in Victoria Street and Westminster Cathedral but has had direct dialogue with Westminster City Council, which works in partnership with the Metropolitan Police to tackle aggressive begging in Westminster. Westminster council has agreed to address aggressive begging as a specific target and is currently an anti-social behaviour trailblazer area. It has been allocated £100,000 from the Home Office to assist it in its activities. In a meeting with Westminster City Council on Thursday 1 December, progress to tackle aggressive begging in Victoria Street and around Westminster Cathedral was discussed. Details about ongoing work in these two areas are detailed in the attached background paper.

Armed Forces Bill: Service Prosecuting Authority

Lord Astor of Hever: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Why they have not included in the Armed Forces Bill provisions to place the Attorney-General's superintendence of the Service Prosecuting Authority on a clear statutory basis.

Lord Drayson: The Attorney-General's superintendence of the service prosecuting authorities is a general one, under which the prosecuting authorities meet him regularly to discuss important cases and are free to seek his advice. We see no need to define this relationship in statute.

Armed Forces: Pensions and Compensation

Lord Astor of Hever: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they will amend the Armed Forces Bill to incorporate those provisions of the Naval and Marine Pay and Pensions Act 1865 that remain relevant into the Armed Forces (Pensions and Compensation) Act 2005; and whether they will repeal the 1865 Act as obsolete; and
	Whether they will amend the Armed Forces Bill to incorporate into it those provisions of the Air Force (Constitution) Act 1917 that remain relevant; and whether they will repeal the 1917 Act as obsolete.

Lord Drayson: We do not intend to use the Armed Forces Bill to recreate provisions that remain extant in the Air Force (Constitution) Act 1917 and we do not therefore propose to repeal it. The remaining provisions of the Naval and Marine Pay and Pensions Act 1865 are under review, however, and if it proves sensible we shall propose amendments to the Armed Forces Bill to make appropriate provision and thus allow the 1865 Act to be repealed.

Armed Forces: Recruitment Age

Lord Lester of Herne Hill: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they will delay formal enlistment into the Armed Forces until after an individual's 18th birthday; and, if not, what is the justification for the current policy.

Lord Drayson: The Government have no plans to delay formal enlistment age into the Armed Forces until an individual's 18th birthday. If the Armed Forces were required to raise the minimum age of entry, it would create serious manning problems, since 35 per cent of all recruits in financial year 2004–05 were aged under 18. The services, in particular the Army, would be unable to man current structures and maintain current capabilities. It is probable that, should the minimum entry age be raised, good quality school leavers would settle into other careers and thus be lost to the services.

Asylum Claims: Jamaica

Lord Avebury: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they will ensure that gay Jamaican asylum seekers are allowed a right of appeal against any application to enter or remain in the United Kingdom on Refugee Convention or Human Rights Act grounds; and, if so, how.

Baroness Scotland of Asthal: Where a person makes an application to enter or remain in the United Kingdom on asylum and/or human rights grounds it will be considered on its individual merits and in accordance with our international obligations. Leave will be granted in appropriate cases. Where the application is refused such that the person has no leave to enter or remain, the person will have a right of appeal against that decision. The right of appeal will be exercisable within the UK unless the asylum and human rights claims are certified as clearly unfounded under Section 94 of the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002. A claim will be certified under Section 94 only if the Secretary of State finds it to be clearly unfounded on its individual merits. This applies regardless of the nationality of the applicant or the basis of their asylum and/or human rights application. Guidance to caseworkers on the consideration and certification of asylum and/or human rights applications from Jamaican nationals is contained in the operational guidance note (OGN) on Jamaica. The OGN can be found on the IND website at: http://www.ind.homeoffice.gov.uk/ind/en/home/laws–policy/country–information/operation–guidance.html.

Buncefield Explosion: Health Advice

Lord Morris of Manchester: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What guidance and health warnings were given to vulnerable groups and more widely by the Department of Health or other statutory authorities following the explosions and conflagration involving fuel storage tanks at the Buncefield complex in Hertfordshire on 11 December; on what date or dates, and at what time or times, they were issued; and what monitoring there has been of the health consequences of the explosions.

Lord Warner: The Health Protection Agency (HPA) provided the majority of the health warnings and guidance to the public following the Buncefield explosions. All messages to the public were issued via the lead agency for this incident, the police-led, multi-agency gold control. The health messages were informed by advice from local health services and the HPA.
	Health advice was contained in a range of gold control press briefings issued from 8.55 on 11 December through to 10.15 on 14 December. The health messages were added to websites, including that of the HPA.
	The message for the phase from 8.55 on 11 December until 10.15 on 14 December was "go in, stay in and tune in". From the afternoon of 13 December the health message also included advice to avoid contact with firefighting foam. At 10.15 on 14 December the message was changed; people were advised to go about their normal business unless they were in the immediate area where smoke plume was falling to the ground, or they experienced an increase in strong fuel-like odours. In this event people were advised to go indoors and shut windows and doors until the smoke had cleared.
	On 15 December a joint statement by the Dacorum Primary Care Trust, the Watford and Three Rivers Primary Care Trust and the HPA was issued. This advised that there were not expected to be any health problems associated with residual vapours from the incident and gave advice on removing soot particles from the plume on cars, window sills, etc.
	A further joint statement from these health bodies was issued on 16 December advising that the assessment to date is that there has been no significant impact on health following the incident, provided members of the public had followed the earlier advice, and that there was no likelihood of further acute risk to health.
	Monitoring and surveillance of health impacts has been ongoing since the incident, with the HPA leading. Information from NHS Direct, accident and emergency departments and general practitioners has been studied.

Cancer

Lord Ashley of Stoke: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How the general incidence of cancer in the United Kingdom compares to the general incidence of cancer in other developed countries.

Lord McKenzie of Luton: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician who has been asked to reply.
	Letter to Lord Ashley of Stoke from the National Statistician, dated January 2006.
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question concerning how the general incidence of cancer in the United Kingdom compares to the general incidence of cancer in other developed countries. (HL3109)
	Information on the comparison of cancer incidence in the UK and other developed countries is available from the Cancer Incidence in Five Continents (CI5) study. The most recently published results from this study are in Cancer Incidence in Five Continents Volume VIII  1 (IARC Scientific Publications No. 155); a copy is available in the House of Commons Library. These results relate to patients diagnosed with cancer during 1993–97 and present data from 186 registries in 57 countries covering parts of the UK, Europe, Oceania, North America, Asia, Central and South America, and Africa.
	Figures on the numbers of people diagnosed with cancer in the EU countries can be found on the EUCAN database. This database contains information for the latest year for which cancer
	1 Parkin DM, Whelan SL, Ferlay J, Teppo L and Thomas DB (Eds). Cancer Incidence in Five Continents Volume VIII. (IARC Scientific Publications No. 155). Lyon: International Agency for Research on Cancer, 2002.
	incidence, mortality and population data are available in the 15 member states of the European Union; at present the latest data available are for 1998. The EUCAN database is available on the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) website at www-dep.iarc.fr/eucan/eucan.htm.
	Comparable cancer data for the UK and other developed countries can be found on the GLOBOCAN database. The GLOBOCAN 2002 database contains estimates of cancer incidence, mortality and prevalence worldwide for 2002. The GLOBOCAN 2000 database is also available on the IARC website at www-dep.iarc.fr/globocan/database.htm.

Cancer

Lord Ashley of Stoke: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What is the incidence of cancer in each health authority in the United Kingdom; and whether they have drawn any conclusions from these figures.

Lord McKenzie of Luton: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician who has been asked to reply.
	Letter to Lord Ashley of Stoke from the National Statistician, dated January 2006.
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking what the incidence of cancer is in each health authority in the United Kingdom. (HL3110)
	Information on cancer incidence (based on the registration of newly diagnosed cases) for each health authority in the United Kingdom for 21 major cancers, can be found in Cancer Atlas of the United Kingdom and Ireland 1991–2000 1 , which is available on the National Statistics website at www.statistics.gov.uk/StatBase/Product.asp?vlnk=14059&Pos=&ColRank=1&Rank=272.
	Analysis of the figures and the conclusions to be drawn are presented in the report. For each cancer, geographic patterns are described and related to known risk factors and levels of socio-economic deprivation. Comparisons between cancers are also presented.

Cancer

Lord Ashley of Stoke: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What comparisons have been made between the incidence of cancer in areas under or close to the flight paths of major airports, and other areas in the United Kingdom; and whether they will publish any results; and
	Whether they have discussed with foreign health officials the effects of airports on the incidence of cancer; and with what results; and
	1 Quinn MJ, Wood HE, Cooper N & Rowan SD (Eds). Cancer Atlas of the United Kingdom and Ireland 1991–2000. Studies on Medical and Population Subjects No. 68. London: Office for National Statistics, 2005.
	Whether they have evidence that people in areas under or close to flight paths of major airports are disproportionately affected by cancer.

Lord Warner: The Department of Health has not undertaken a comparison between cancer rates in people living under flight-paths or close to airports with those among people living elsewhere in the United Kingdom. Research work has been published in the past in this area, but this has not been reviewed by the department. A rapid search of an international database has not revealed any more recent relevant publications. The Government know of no evidence that people in areas under or close to flight paths of major airports are disproportionately affected by cancer and have not discussed with foreign health officials the effects of airports on the incidence of cancer.

Child Abuse

Lord Northbourne: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How they define serious child abuse; and how many children, in each of the last five years for which figures are available, have suffered serious child abuse at the hands of their parents.

Lord Adonis: Working Together to Safeguard Children, the Government's core guidance on safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, defines child abuse and neglect as inflicting harm or failing to act to prevent harm against a child. Child abuse may take the form of physical, emotional or sexual abuse. Neglect is the persistent failure to meet a child's basic needs.
	The department collects statistics on referrals, assessments and children and young people on child protection registers (including the type of abuse, or neglect, of which they are judged to be at risk). However, the statistics do not include information on the numbers of children who have suffered serious child abuse at the hands of parents.

Cocaine

Lord Dykes: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they intend to take new measures to curb the use of cocaine in the United Kingdom.

Baroness Scotland of Asthal: The Government's drug strategy aims to reduce the harms caused by all illicit drugs. To do this, it focuses on the most dangerous drugs—heroin, crack and cocaine (class A)—the most damaged communities and those whose drug use causes most harm to themselves and others. For young people, the Government provide universal drugs education and targeted interventions for vulnerable young people who are most likely to develop drug misuse problems. For example, the FRANK helpline offers honest, credible advice to young people, their parents and carers about illegal drugs and has attracted more than a million calls and over 6 million website visits. Class A drug use among young people aged 16–24 is stable. Internationally, through the Concerted Inter-Agency Drugs Action group (CIDA), UK law enforcement agencies are working together, and in partnership with those in South America, the Caribbean, Spain and the Netherlands, to tackle the supply of cocaine to the UK at all stages of the chain. Between April 2001 and December 2004, CIDA agencies seized 52 tonnes of cocaine bound for the UK market and recovered over £94 million of drug-related criminal finances, as well as disrupting or dismantling 605 drug trafficking organisations. They have also increased substantially the number of cocaine swallowers detected in Jamaica.
	Nationally, individuals charged with certain offences in the 97 areas with the highest levels of acquisitive crime are tested for class A drugs under the Government's drug interventions programme (DIP). This is one of a number of interventions aimed at identifying drug misusing offenders and moving them away from crime and into treatment and support services. From 1 December, Greater Manchester, Nottinghamshire and South Yorkshire police have the power to test for class A drugs on arrest for certain trigger offences. Those testing positive are required to attend an assessment with a drug worker. These new powers will be expanded further from 31 March 2006. For drug treatment, heroin misuse has been the main problem and the focus of services. This situation is changing. The number of stimulant users (e.g. crack cocaine) presenting to treatment services is slowly increasing and effective interventions with this group include counselling or residential rehabilitation services. Most users use a range of drugs and drug services need to focus on individual clients' needs, not the drug of misuse. Increasingly, flexible treatment packages are being adopted in line with the National Treatment Agency's effectiveness strategy.

NHS: Community Hospitals

Lord Campbell-Savours: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether reductions in cottage hospital provision in the National Health Service are in line with their policy.

Lord Warner: The Labour manifesto made a commitment to creating a new generation of at least 50 new, rebuilt or refurbished state-of-the-art National Health Service community hospitals over the next five years. The Department of Health's vision will be articulated in the forthcoming White Paper on health and social care in the community.
	The department recognises that changes are taking place in some existing community hospitals. This may be because they do not provide the services needed by the local community, or are in antiquated buildings that it is not possible to refurbish to the standards of the 21st century NHS. A new generation of community hospitals and facilities will be required in order to respond to demographic changes and shifting needs of patients. Local health economies will need to plan these changes carefully in full consultation with their local communities.

Demonstrations: Parliament and Whitehall

Lord Hylton: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What conditions they intend to impose on approved non-violent demonstrations near Parliament and Whitehall.

Baroness Scotland of Asthal: The power to impose conditions rests with the police, not the Government. Under the provisions of the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005, the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis must give authorisation for a demonstration in the designated area around Parliament, for which written notice has been given. In giving authorisation, the commissioner may attach conditions for the purpose of preventing any of the following: hindrance to any person wishing to enter or leave the Palace of Westminster; hindrance to the proper operation of Parliament; serious public disorder; serious damage to property; disruption to the life of the community; a security risk in any part of the designated area; risk to the safety of members of the public (including those taking part in the demonstration).

Deputy Prime Minister: Entertainment Budget

Lord Hanningfield: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What was the cost of official entertainment given by the Deputy Prime Minister in each of the past eight years.

Baroness Andrews: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister was formed on 29 May 2002. The table below shows how much my right honourable friend the Deputy Prime Minister's private office spent on catering, hospitality and official entertainment in 2002–03 to 2005–06.
	
		
			 2002–03 2003–04 2004–05 2005–06(spend to date) 
			 £4,310.04 £13,466.83 £9,246.45 £4,850.30 
		
	
	All expenditure on official entertainment is made in accordance with published departmental guidance on financial procedures and propriety, based on principles set out in Government Accounting.

Israel and Palestine: East Jerusalem

Lord Dykes: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they will follow up the recent report from the British Consul General's Office in Jerusalem with practical proposals in the General Affairs and External Relations Ministerial Council to safeguard interests in east Jerusalem against Israeli property and land acquisitions in and around that section of the city.

Lord Triesman: My right honourable friend the Foreign Secretary said after the 12 December General Affairs and External Relations Council:
	"we discussed the EU analysis on East Jerusalem submitted to Ministers by heads of mission in the region as well as by various committees here in Brussels. We decided given the changed circumstances in Israel and the Occupied Territories that this would not be endorsed or published and instead that we would continue to make strong representations to the Government of Israel about the matter in the normal way".

EU: Trade

Lord Pearson of Rannoch: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether the estimates of potential economic growth or of costs associated with the European Union, identified in HM Treasury's publication Global Europe: Full-employment Europe, in respect of (a) barriers to external trade and investment; (b) competition; (c) better regulation; and (d) removing transatlantic barriers to trade overlap; if so, to what extent; and whether they will state the basis on which the estimates were made.

Lord McKenzie of Luton: The estimates in the Treasury paper Global Europe: full-employment Europe drew on a range of sources including from the OECD, Eurostat, and the European Central Bank. Further detailed references are provided in the March 2005 HM Treasury paper Long-term global economic challenges and opportunities for Europe, which is available in the Library of the House.
	The estimates take different approaches to measuring different aspects of barriers to trade, investment and growth.

EU: UK Legislation

Lord Pearson of Rannoch: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by Lord Triesman on 14 November (WA 117), why they will not provide a full estimate of the United Kingdom legislation which originated in the European Union since 1998, bearing in mind that the German Federal Department of Justice has estimated that 80 per cent. of German laws or regulations were so made over that period.

Lord Triesman: Many EU regulations have a purely technical or temporary effect. We estimate that around 50 per cent. of UK legislation with a significant economic impact has its origins in EU legislation. OECD analysis of regulation in Europe yields similar results. In 2002, they estimated that 40 per cent. of all new UK regulations with a significant impact on business were derived from Community legislation. Despite reports that 80 per cent. of German regulation emanates from the EU, the German Government estimates that the proportion is about 50 per cent.
	OECD reports on the UK are available at www.oecd.org/dataoecd/46/38/2766135.pdf.

Extraordinary Rendition

Lord Oakeshott of Seagrove Bay: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether Ministers or officials in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office have held meetings with United Nations officials since 1 November at which extraordinary rendition was discussed; on which date or dates such meetings took place; and what representations were made by United Nations officials.

Lord Triesman: As far as we are aware, Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials have not held meetings with United Nations officials since 1 November on extraordinary rendition.

Families

Lord Northbourne: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they plan to respond to the recommendations of the recently published report by the Commission on Families and the Wellbeing of Children entitled Families and the State—Two way support and responsibilities.

Lord Adonis: The Government welcome the recently published report Families and the State—Two-way support and responsibilities. It supports many of the steps the Government are taking in providing support to families in the upbringing of their children, particularly in our approach to early intervention where possible, though using challenge and support when necessary. The Government have no current plans to respond specifically to the findings of the report. However, we will continue to work closely with NCH and the National Family and Parenting Institute (NFPI) as we develop policies to support parents and families more broadly.

Government Departments: 0870 Numbers

Lord Tyler: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether the Home Office, and the executive agencies for which it is responsible, now follow the guidance of the Central Office of Information and Ofcom in relation to the use of 0870 and 0845 telephone numbers for public inquiries.

Baroness Scotland of Asthal: The Home Office is keen to ensure that the cost of telephone calls made by the public are kept to a minimum, and all 0870 and 0845 numbers that have been in use are under review to ensure compliance with the COI guidelines wherever possible. The central Home Office inquiry number is no longer an 0870 number and was replaced with 020 7035 4848 from September 2005. The 0870 number is being kept for 18 months as publicity material such as phone book entries will take a while to reflect the change.

Gulf War Syndrome

Lord Tyler: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the replies by the Lord Davies of Oldham on 24 November (HL Deb, cols. 1723–26), whether they accept in full the terms of the Pensions Appeal Tribunal judgment in the case of Guardsman Daniel Martin; or whether they propose to appeal against any part of the tribunal's findings.

Lord Drayson: Her Majesty's Government have welcomed the decisions by the Pensions Appeal Tribunal in the case of Daniel Martin and do not intend to appeal. I refer the noble Lord to the Statement issued on 24 November 2005 by my honourable friend the Minister for Veterans.

Gulf War Syndrome

Lord Tyler: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they accept all the findings of the Pension Appeal Tribunal in the case of Guardsman Daniel Martin, in particular those concerning the conclusions of the inquiry chaired by the Lord Lloyd of Berwick that (a) veterans of the Gulf War later developed an excess of symptomatic ill health over and above that to be expected in the normal course of events; and (b) Gulf War syndrome was the appropriate medical label to be attached to this excess.

Lord Drayson: Her Majesty's Government have accepted the decisions of the Pension Appeal Tribunal in the case of Daniel Martin. We accept that some veterans of the Gulf War have developed an excess of symptomatic ill health over and above that to be expected in the normal course of events. There is no reliable evidence to prove the existence of Gulf War syndrome as a discrete medical condition but rather Gulf War syndrome is an umbrella term for ill health caused by service and connected with the 1990–91 Gulf War.

Gulf War Syndrome

Baroness Park of Monmouth: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the replies by the Lord Davies of Oldham on 24 November (Official Report, cols. 1723–26), whether those replies are consistent with the recent statement by a spokeswoman for the Ministry of Defence that there had been no changes in policies or procedures following the Daniel Martin Pensions Appeal Tribunal judgment; and by whom the statement was authorised.

Lord Drayson: We are unaware of the specific statement by a spokeswoman for the Ministry of Defence to which the noble Baroness refers.
	Where appropriate, it is the policy of the Ministry of Defence to accept Gulf War syndrome as an umbrella term for ill health caused by service, and causally linked with the 1990-91 Gulf conflict. It remains the policy of the Ministry of Defence to make an award where evidence of disablement is shown and where that disablement is due to, or aggravated by, service.

Health Bill: Smoking

Lord Faulkner of Worcester: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What proportion of respondents to the recent consultation on the smoke-free provisions of the Health Bill supported their proposals for exempting private members' clubs and public houses which do not serve food from the provisions of the Health Bill.

Lord Warner: Of the 41,641 responses to question seven in the consultation, the vast majority gave the view that since a membership club is a workplace there should be no general exemption from the legislation for membership clubs. An analysis of the results of the consultation is available in the Library.

Heavy Goods Vehicles: Weight Restrictions

Lord Bradshaw: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many prosecutions took place in the last year for which figures are available of heavy goods vehicle drivers not complying with weight restrictions on rural A class roads; and
	How many prosecutions have taken place regarding heavy goods vehicles drivers not complying with weight restrictions on rural A class roads in Derbyshire.

Baroness Scotland of Asthal: Data from the court proceedings database held by the Office for Criminal Justice Reform show that in 2004 the number of people prosecuted for "exceeding gross weight or axle weight" under the Road Vehicles (Constructions and Use) Regulations 1986, Regulations 72, 75-80; and Road Traffic Act 1998 Sections 41B & 42 as added by the Road Traffic Act 1991 Section 8 for England and Wales was 4,315 and for Derbyshire, 25. It is not possible to identify the type of driver and class of road as these details are not collected centrally. Information for Scotland is a matter for the Scottish Office and that for Northern Ireland for the Northern Ireland Office.

Identity Cards

Baroness Seccombe: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they will publish (a) any analysis they have made of the potential use that local authorities may make of the National Identity Register or identity cards introduced following enactment of the Identity Cards Bill; and (b) their estimate of the costs that will or may be incurred by local authorities in connection with such use.

Baroness Andrews: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM) does not have estimates of the benefits or costs of using the ID cards scheme to support services it oversees. The overwhelming majority of these services are administered by local authorities and the ODPM is working with them to develop a business case for authentication and verification management, which has the potential to include use of the identity card system.
	The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister is represented on the Ministerial Committee on Identity Cards which overseas the work on benefits planning realisation.

Israel: Gaza

Baroness Tonge: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What representations they have made to the Israeli Government concerning the missile attack on Gaza on 7 December.

Lord Triesman: We recognise Israel's right to self defence but urge Israel to act with restraint following the Netanya suicide bombing on 5 December. The British Ambassador in Tel Aviv raised targeted killings with the Israeli Defence Force Chief of General Staff on 8 December. We will continue to protest against targeted killings and to make representations to the Israeli Government to act in accordance with international law.

Identity Cards: Ministry of Defence

Baroness Noakes: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they will publish (a) any analysis they have made of the potential use that the Ministry of Defence may make of the National Identity Register or identity cards introduced following enactment of the Identity Cards Bill; and (b) their estimate of the costs that will or may be incurred by the Ministry of Defence Affairs in connection with such use.

Lord Drayson: The Ministry of Defence has not conducted any systematic analysis of possible uses of the, National Identity Register, or of the costs or savings that might result.

National Insurance Contributions

Lord Skelmersdale: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether the moneys not paid to women as a result of gradually moving their retirement age from 60 to 65 will remain in the National Insurance Fund.

Lord McKenzie of Luton: The Government will continue to make decisions on national insurance contributions and social security benefits funded from the National Insurance Fund in the Budget and Pre-Budget Report.

National Insurance Contributions

Lord Skelmersdale: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	In the last year for which they have figures, how many people in work were not paying national insurance contributions.

Lord McKenzie of Luton: The number of people with earnings below the lower earnings limit is 581,000 in 2004–05.
	This is an estimate and has been provided by the Office for National Statistics based on gross weekly earnings in the main job reported in the Labour Force Survey for the three-month period ending February 2005. This figure represents a snapshot and is not seasonally adjusted—individuals' earnings may vary during the year.
	Class 1 national insurance contributions are only payable on reckonable earnings above the primary threshold (PT) although they are treated as paid on earnings between the lower earnings limit (LEL) and the PT. Contributions are paid only by employed earners who are below state pension age.

NHS: Deficits

Lord Campbell-Savours: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What proposals they have to deal with deficits of primary care trusts and trusts at a local level in the National Health Service.

Lord Warner: It is the responsibility of strategic health authorities to deliver overall financial balance for their local health communities and to ensure that each and every body achieves financial balance. To strengthen these arrangements, turnaround teams were appointed in early December 2005 to support the organisations with the largest deficits. The teams consist of financial and management experts who are experienced in resolving financial problems and managing National Health Service organisations. Over an 18-month period they will support the NHS in identifying opportunities to deliver services with greater cost-effectiveness and to make financial savings. They will focus on ensuring the organisations deliver efficiency and quality improvements needed to achieve both financial balance and better care for patients.

NHS: Deficits

Lord Campbell-Savours: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Which National Health Service trusts are carrying forward (a) in-year forecast deficits; and (b) deficits of an accumulated nature in the current year; and what is the amount of the respective deficits.

Lord Warner: The 2005–06 forecast position at month six for all National Health Service organisations has been placed on the Department of Health publications website. This information can be found under "recently added classes of information" and can be accessed at www.dh.gov.uk/PublicationsAndStatistics/FreedomOfInformation/ClassesOfInformation/fs/en.
	The latest year for which audited financial data are available is 2004-05. The cumulative breakeven position for NHS organisations for the financial year 2004-05 is set out in the table.
	
		
			  2004–05 Breakevencumulative position 
			 NHS Trust £000 
			 5 Boroughs Partnership NHS Trust 83 
			 Aintree Hospitals NHS Trust 2,473 
			 Airedale NHS Trust (4,588) 
			 Ashford and St Peter's Hospitals NHSTrust (7,405) 
			 Avon Ambulance Service NHS Trust 312 
			 Avon and Wiltshire MHP NHS Trust (3,136) 
			 Barking, Havering and RedbridgeHospital NHS 20 
			 Barnet and Chase Farm Hospitals NHSTrust (19,564) 
			 Barnet, Enfield and Haringey MH NHSTrust (757) 
			 Barts and The London NHS Trust (1,054) 
			 Bedford Hospital NHS Trust (8,713) 
			 Bedfordshire & Luton MH & Soc CarNHS Trust 653 
			 Beds and Herts Ambulance andParamedic Trust 305 
			 Berkshire Healthcare NHS Trust (5,111) 
			 Birmingham and Solihull MH NHSTrust 0 
			 Birmingham Children's Hospital NHSTrust 168 
			 Birmingham Women's Health Care NHSTrust (256) 
			 Blackpool, Fylde and Wyre Hosps NHSTrust (5,802) 
			 Bolton Hospitals NHS Trust (2,554) 
			 Bolton Salford and Trafford MH NHSTrust 530 
			 Bradford District Care Trust 385 
			 Brighton and Sussex Univ Hosps NHSTrust (15,045) 
			 Bromley Hospitals NHS Trust 28,754 
			 Buckinghamshire Hospitals NHS Trust (3,005) 
			 Buckinghamshire Mental Health NHSTrust (3,646) 
			 Burton Hospitals NHS Trust (2,431) 
			 Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Trust 36 
			 Calderstones NHS Trust 1,434 
			 Cambs & Peterborough MH PartnershipTrust 2,746 
			 Camden & Islington MH & Social CareTrust 2,447 
			 Cent Manchester/ Manchester ChildNHS Trust (7,577) 
			 Central and North West London MHNHS Trust 5,392 
			 Chelsea and Westminster HealthcareTrust (164) 
			 Cheshire and Wirral Partnership NHSTrust (268) 
			 Christie Hospital NHS Trust (110) 
			 Clatterbridge Centre For Oncology Trust 231 
			 Co Durham & Darlington AcuteHospital NHS Trust 1,025 
			 Cornwall Partnership NHS Trust 486 
			 County Durham and Darlington PriorSrv Trust 2,250 
			 Coventry & Warwickshire AmbulanceNHS Trust 0 
			 Cumbria Ambulance Service NHS Trust 619 
			 Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust (3,743) 
			 Derbyshire Mental Health Services NHSTrust 0 
			 Devon Partnership NHS Trust (430) 
			 Doncaster & South Humber H'careNHS Trust 1,685 
			 Dorset Ambulance NHS Trust (77) 
			 Dorset Healthcare NHS Trust 20 
			 Dudley Group Of Hospitals NHS Trust 2,642 
			 Ealing Hospital NHS Trust (375) 
			 East and North Hertfordshire NHSTrust (9,278) 
			 East Anglian Ambulance NHS Trust 1,281 
			 East Cheshire NHS Trust 90 
			 East Kent Hospitals NHS Trust (9,859) 
			 East Kent NHS and SC PartnershipTrust 352 
			 East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust (7,959) 
			 East London and The City MH NHSTrust 235 
			 East Midlands Ambulance Servce NHSTrust 32 
			 East Somerset NHS Trust 21 
			 East Sussex County Healthcare NHSTrust (1,961) 
			 East Sussex Hospitals NHS Trust (8,220) 
			 Epsom and St Helier University HospitalNHS Trust (1,736) 
			 Essex Ambulance Service NHS Trust 273 
			 Essex Rivers Healthcare NHS Trust (4,582) 
			 George Eliot Hospital NHS Trust (778) 
			 Gloucestershire Ambulance ServicesNHS Trust 273 
			 Gloucestershire Partnership NHS Trust 115 
			 Good Hope Hospital NHS Trust (9,097) 
			 Great Ormond St Hospital For ChildrenNHS Trust 1,771 
			 Greater Manchester Ambulance NHSTrust 380 
			 Hammersmith Hospitals NHS Trust (18,384) 
			 Hampshire Ambulance Service NHSTrust (4,213) 
			 Hampshire Partnership NHS Trust 16 
			 Heatherwood and Wexham Park HospsTrust (3,753) 
			 Hereford and Worcester AmbulanceNHS Trust 120 
			 Hereford Hospitals NHS Trust (1,128) 
			 Hertfordshire Partnership NHS Trust 1,242 
			 Hinchingbrooke Health Care NHS Trust (1,829) 
			 Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitals NHSTrust (5,309) 
			 Humber Mental Health Teaching NHSTrust 61 
			 Ipswich Hospital NHS Trust (7,845) 
			 Isle Of Wight Healthcare NHS Trust (4,155) 
			 James Paget Healthcare NHS Trust 362 
			 Kent Ambulance NHS Trust 91 
			 Kettering General Hospital NHS Trust (2,145) 
			 King's College Hospital NHS Trust (3,766) 
			 Kingston Hospital NHS Trust 481 
			 Lancashire Ambulance Service NHSTrust 504 
			 Lancashire Care NHS Trust 31 
			 Leeds Mental Health Teaching NHSTrust 526 
			 Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust (2,411) 
			 Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust 69 
			 Lincolnshire Ambulance NHS Trust 19 
			 Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Trust 28 
			 London Ambulance Service NHS Trust 75 
			 Luton and Dunstable Hospital NHSTrust 854 
			 Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHSTrust (16,970) 
			 Manchester Mental Hlth & Social CareTrust 89 
			 Mayday Healthcare NHS Trust (65) 
			 Medway NHS Trust (262) 
			 Mersey Care NHS Trust 2,474 
			 Mersey Regional Ambulance ServiceTrust 175 
			 Mid Essex Hospital Services NHS Trust (2,400) 
			 Mid Staffordshire Gen Hospitals Trust (2,359) 
			 Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust (40,696) 
			 Milton Keynes General Hospital NHSTrust (3,559) 
			 Morecambe Bay Hospitals NHS Trust (506) 
			 N Essex Mental Health PartnershipNHS Trust 70 
			 Newcastle, North Tyneside andNorthumberland MH NHS 47 
			 Newcastle Upon Tyne Hospitals NHSTrust 729 
			 Newham University Hospital NHS Trust 282 
			 Norfolk & Waveney MH PartnershipNHS Trust 1,048 
			 Norfolk and Norwich Uni HospitalNHS Trust 1,058 
			 North Bristol NHS Trust (46,364) 
			 North Cheshire Hospitals NHS Trust 125 
			 North Cumbria Acute Hospitals NHSTrust (7,767) 
			 North East Ambulance Service NHSTrust 407 
			 North East London Mental Health NHSTrust 333 
			 North Hampshire Hospitals NHS Trust (480) 
			 North Lincolnshire and Goole HospsNHS Trust 4 
			 North Middlesex University HospitalNHS Trust (5,360) 
			 North Staffs Combined Hc NHS Trust 245 
			 North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Trust 156 
			 North West London Hospitals NHSTrust (13,546) 
			 North West Surrey MH NHSPartnership Trust (1,058) 
			 Northampton General Hospital NHSTrust (3,992) 
			 Northamptonshire Healthcare NHSTrust 337 
			 Northern Devon Healthcare NHS Trust (368) 
			 Northgate and Prudhoe NHS Trust 5,058 
			 Northumbria Health Care NHS Trust 1,192 
			 Nottingham City Hospital NHS Trust 529 
			 Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust 794 
			 Nth Cumbria MH and Learning DisabNHS Trust 1 
			 Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre NHS Trust (225) 
			 Oxford Learning Disability NHS Trust 167 
			 Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals NHS Trust 1,613 
			 Oxfordshire Ambulance NHS Trust 57 
			 Oxfordshire Mental Healthcare NHSTrust 37 
			 Oxleas NHS Trust 1,243 
			 Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust 1,634 
			 Pennine Care NHS Trust 7 
			 Plymouth Hospitals NHS Trust (15,978) 
			 Poole Hospital NHS Trust 0 
			 Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust 830 
			 Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust (4,771) 
			 Queen Elizabeth Hospital NHS Trust (8,942) 
			 Queen Mary's Sidcup NHS Trust (6,512) 
			 Queen's Medical Notts Uni HospitalNHS Trust 3,999 
			 Rob Jones and A Hunt OrthopaedicNHS Trust (3,097) 
			 Royal Berkshire Ambulance ServiceTrust (25) 
			 Royal Berkshire and Battle Hosps NHSTrust 4,989 
			 Royal Brnmth and Christcrch FounTrust (328) 
			 Royal Brompton and Harefield NHSTrust (3,165) 
			 Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust 0 
			 Royal Free Hampstead NHS Trust (13,148) 
			 Royal Liverpool Broadgreen UnivHospital Trust 197 
			 Royal Liverpool Childrens NHS Trust 538 
			 Royal Nat Hospital Rheum DiseaseNHS Foun Trust 257 
			 Royal Nat Orthopaedic Hospital NHSTrust (3,769) 
			 Royal Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Trust 2,129 
			 Royal Surrey County Hospital NHSTrust (3,293) 
			 Royal United Hospital Bath NHS Trust (27,698) 
			 Royal West Sussex NHS Trust (22,220) 
			 Royal Wolverhampton Hospital NHSTrust (17,217) 
			 Salford Royal Hospitals NHS Trust 3,277 
			 Salisbury Health Care NHS Trust 413 
			 Sandwell & West Birmingham HospsNHS Trust (9,394) 
			 Sandwell Mental Health NHS & SocialCare Trust (76) 
			 Scarborough and NE Yorks NHS Trust (4,565) 
			 Sheffield Care Trust 554 
			 Sheffield Children's NHS Trust 487 
			 Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Trust 314 
			 Shrewsbury & Telford Hospital NHSTrust (10,533) 
			 Somerset Partnership NHS and Soc CareTrust 2 
			 South Devon Health Care NHS Trust 227 
			 South Downs Health NHS Trust 636 
			 South Essex Partnership NHS Trust 745 
			 South London and Maudsley NHS Trust (339) 
			 South Manchester Univ Hospital NHSTrust (5,580) 
			 South of Tyne and Wearside MH NHSTrust 34 
			 South Staffordshire Healthcare NHSTrust 1,108 
			 South Tees Hospitals NHS Trust (8,609) 
			 South Warwickshire Gen Hosps NHSTrust (9,090) 
			 South West Yorkshire Mental HealthNHS Trust 168 
			 South Yorkshire Ambulance ServiceNHS Trust 194 
			 Southampton University Hosps NHSTrust (13,627) 
			 Southend Hospital NHS Trust 805 
			 Southport and Ormskirk Hospital NHSTrust (1,179) 
			 St George's Healthcare NHS Trust (23,596) 
			 St Helens and Knowsley Hospitals NHS Trust 2,008 
			 St Mary's NHS Trust (4,570) 
			 Staffordshire Ambulance Service Trust 139 
			 Suffolk Mental Health Partnership NHSTrust (35) 
			 Surrey Ambulance Service NHS Trust 22 
			 Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHSTrust (35,462) 
			 Surrey Hampshire Borders NHS Trust 265 
			 Surrey Oaklands NHS Trust 402 
			 Sussex Ambulance Service NHS Trust 92 
			 Sw London and St George's Mental HlthTrust 401 
			 Swindon and Marlborough NHS Trust 57 
			 Tameside and Glossop Acute Servs NHSTrust 1,391 
			 Taunton and Somerset NHS Trust 358 
			 Tavistock and Portman NHS Trust 54 
			 Tees and North East Yorkshire NHSTrust 238 
			 Tees East and Nth Yorkshre Amb ServNHS (372) 
			 The Cardiothoracic Cntr - LiverpoolNHS Trust 172 
			 The Hillingdon Hospital NHS Trust (1,295) 
			 The Lewisham Hospital NHS Trust (6,646) 
			 The Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Trust 1,022 
			 The Queen Eliz Hospital King's LynnNHS Trust (14,205) 
			 The Whittington Hospital NHS Trust (1,500) 
			 Trafford Healthcare NHS Trust (3,519) 
			 Two Shires Ambulance NHS Trust 214 
			 United Bristol Healthcare NHS Trust (17,208) 
			 United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHSTrust (4,756) 
			 Univ Hospital North Staffordshire NHSTrust 125 
			 Univ Hosps Coventry & WarwickshireNHS Trust 179 
			 University Hospitals Of Leicester NHSTrust 194 
			 Walsall Hospitals NHS Trust (2,902) 
			 Walton Neurology Centre NHS Trust 387 
			 West Dorset General Hospitals NHSTrust (428) 
			 West Hertfordshire Hospitals NHS Trust (14,432) 
			 West Kent NHS and Social Care Trust 68 
			 West London Mental Health NHS Trust (1,353) 
			 West Middlesex University HospitalNHS Trust (4,943) 
			 West Midlands Ambulance Service NHSTrust 158 
			 West Suffolk Hospitals NHS Trust (10,128) 
			 West Sussex Health and Social CareNHS Trust 467 
			 West Yorkshire Ambulance ServiceTrust 136 
			 Westcountry Ambulance Services NHSTrust 494 
			 Weston Area Health NHS Trust (7,248) 
			 Whipps Cross University Hospital NHSTrust 63 
			 Wiltshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust 43 
			 Winchester and Eastleigh Hlthcre NHSTrust (282) 
			 Wirral Hospital NHS Trust 871 
			 Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHSTrust (25,530) 
			 Worcestershire Mh Partnership NHSTrust 710 
			 Worthing and Southlands HospitalsTrust (556) 
			 Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh NHSTrust (485) 
			 York Hospitals NHS Trust 79 
		
	
	Source: audited NHS trust summarisation schedules 2004–05
	Note to table: Foundation Trusts data is not included in the above figures.

NHS Litigation Authority

Earl Howe: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many times since the beginning of 2004 Ministers or officials from the Department of Health have (a) met, and (b) corresponded with the NHS Litigation Authority; and on how many of these occasions the issues of compensation payments and costs associated with claims for clinical negligence were discussed.

Lord Warner: Ministers at the Department of Health have held four formal meetings with the NHS Litigation Authority since the start of January 2004. There have also been a small number of informal meetings (at conferences etc) during this period. At the formal meetings the issues of compensation payments and costs associated with claims for clinical negligence were discussed, among other issues. A search of the department's correspondence databases shows that three exchanges of correspondence have occurred between the NHSLA and Ministers since the beginning of 2004. One exchange dealt with the circumstances of an individual claim, one with the Arm's Length Bodies Review and the other related to a ministerial invitation to attend a meeting.
	Officials from across the department meet and correspond on a very regular basis, both formally and informally, with the NHSLA and discuss a wide range of topics including compensation payments and costs associated with claims for clinical negligence. It is therefore not possible to quantify exactly how many meetings officials have attended or items of correspondence that have been issued.

NHS: LIFT Initiative

Earl Howe: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What progress has been made in establishing a steering group to bring together key stakeholders involved in the local improvement finance trust scheme.

Lord Warner: The Local Improvement Finance Trust (LIFT) in Action Steering Group has been established at a national level to bring together key representatives from the public and private sectors to discuss issues relevant to the ongoing development of the NHS LIFT initiative. The first meeting was on 4 November 2005 and had representatives from Partnerships for Health, the Department of Health, primary care trusts, strategic health authorities, the private sector, local authorities, and clinical champions. Also, all LIFTs have a strategic partnering board that allows key stakeholders to be involved in the development of schemes.

NHS: North Cumbria

Lord Campbell-Savours: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many doctors acting as directors of public health have been employed by the National Health Service in the north Cumbria health area for each year since 1997.

Lord Warner: The information requested is shown in the table.
	
		Hospital, Public Health Medicine and Community Health Services (HCHS): Medical and Dental Directors of Public Health within north Cumbria area by year(1) -- Numbers (headcount)
		
			  1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 June 2005 
			 NorthCumbria 1 1 1 1 1 2 3 3 3 
		
	
	Source: NHS Health and Social Care Information Centre Medical and Dental Workforce Census
	Notes:
	(1) 1997 to 2004 data as at 30 September. Data for 2005, as at 30 June.

NHS: North Cumbria

Lord Campbell-Savours: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What geographic and physical factors are taken into account by the Advisory Committee on Resource Allocation in the allocation of resources to National Health Service organisations in north Cumbria.

Lord Warner: A comprehensive explanation of all the factors taken into account in the weighted capitation formula is contained in Resource Allocation: Weighted Capitation Formula, fifth edition. A copy has been placed in the Library, and can also be found at www.dh.gov.uk/PublicationsAndStatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidanceArticle/fs/en?CONTENT—ID=4112065&chk=MqnOJW.

NHS: Quality and Outcomes Framework

Lord Rea: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	When the review of the Quality and Outcomes Framework in Primary Care is likely to be completed; whether its recommendations will be published in full; whether their submission to the review will be published in full; whether they will recommend an enhanced allocation of points for activities related to the prevention and treatment of obesity; and what is the negotiation timetable for implementation of the review's recommendation.

Lord Warner: The negotiations on the general medical services contract have concluded and details of the agreement have been published on the websites of NHS employers and the General Practitioners Committee. This includes details of the contract and disease areas for the quality and outcomes framework. The QOF for 2006-07 will be published in full at the end of January for implementation from April 2006. Obesity is included in the updated framework but details are not yet available.

Palestine: Suicide Bombings

Baroness Tonge: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What representations they have made to the Palestinian Authority following the suicide bombing in Netanya on 5 December.

Lord Triesman: On 5 December we registered our serious concerns over this suicide bombing with the Palestinian Authority (PA), speaking nationally and as EU presidency. We made it clear that we expected to see quick and effective action in response by the PA. The PA has subsequently arrested a number of members of Palestinian Islamic Jihad, thought to be linked to the attack, across the West Bank. We will continue to press the PA to take effective steps on security and offer our assistance in strengthening the capacity of PA security forces.

Palestinian Authority: Police

Baroness Tonge: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What discussions they have had with the Palestinian Authority concerning better equipment for the Palestinian police.

Lord Triesman: Through the UK-led EU Co-ordination Office for Palestinian Police Support mission, we are in regular discussion with the Palestinian authorities about their policing needs, both in equipment and wider capacity building.

Pregnant Smokers

Baroness Finlay of Llandaff: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What steps are being taken to reduce smoking during pregnancy; and what are the latest available figures on the proportion of women in England who smoke during pregnancy.

Lord Warner: Since 2000 the Government have run a campaign actively to help reduce smoking in pregnancy as part of the broader tobacco control campaign. This has included support literature specifically directed at pregnant women and their partners. We also have a specific free NHS helpline for pregnant smokers (0800 169 9169). The NHS Stop Smoking Service network, available free to all smokers across England, offers tailored support to help pregnant smokers stop.
	Information on smoking in pregnancy is obtained from the report on infant feeding which is carried out every five years; the most recent survey was in 2000. The available information is given in the table.
	
		Proportion of women who smoked throughout pregnancy, -- England 2000
		
			  Percentage 
			 Smoked during pregnancy 19 
			 Base number 4,921 
		
	
	Note:
	The base excludes 200 mothers who did not supply sufficient information for their smoking status to be classified.
	Source: Infant Feeding 2000, Department of Health, available at www.dh.gov.uk/assetRoot/04/05/97/63/04059763.pdf.

Prisoners: Life Sentences

Baroness Stern: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they have disbanded the Lifer Management Unit which managed the sentences of life sentence prisoners; and, if so, what plans they have to ensure its functions are carried out elsewhere.

Baroness Scotland of Asthal: Until December 2003, the Lifer Management Unit was part of the Lifer Unit in Prison Service headquarters and was responsible for the arrangements relating to the transfer and categorisation of life sentence prisoners. On transferring to the Home Office in December 2003, the Lifer Unit was renamed the Lifer Review and Recall Section (LRRS) and then became part of the National Offender Management Service. The main functions of LRRS are confined to dealing with lifer parole review casework and life licensee casework. With effect from 1 February 2004, the responsibilities for transferring and categorising life sentence prisoners within the closed lifer estate passed from LRRS to the Prison Service operational line. Consequently, most decisions on such matters are now taken by senior managers in prisons. Details of those changes are contained in Prison Service Instruction 08/2004, copies of which are in the House of Lords Library. Prison staff will continue to be responsible for managing lifers through sentence on the basis of the life sentence plan (LSP). The LSP provides a structure for staff to plan, monitor and record the way in which individual lifers can address and reduce their risk factors during sentence. The LSP will continue to be kept under review in the light of the development of risk assessment models and the impact of the population trends for lifer and indeterminate sentence prisoners.

Dentists

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What is the ratio of dentists to people in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Lord Warner: The ratio of general dental services and personal dental services dentists to population, by country, in the United Kingdom as at 30 June 2005 is as follows.
	
		
			  Ratio of dentists to population 
			 England 1:2,464 
			 Northern Ireland 1:2,236 
			 Scotland 1:2,202 
			 Wales 1:2,823 
		
	
	Source: Dental Practice Board
	Ratios have been calculated using Office for National Statistics 2004 mid-year population estimates based on the 2001 census.

Religiously Aggravated Crime

Lord Avebury: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Goldsmith on 4 July (WA 63-64), whether they have now undertaken the further review and consultation on the question of whether to record the religion or belief of the perpetrator and the victim of religiously aggravated crimes.

Lord Goldsmith: The further review and consultation has not yet taken place but it is due to commence imminently. It will form part of a wider CPS review of the information that it records in the area of hate crime.

Schools: Admissions

Baroness Morris of Yardley: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether, in the light of the recent High Court decision to permit the Oratory School to interview parents as part of the admissions process, they have any plans to prevent such procedures.

Lord Adonis: The School Admissions Code of Practice makes clear that interviewing is poor practice. Admission authorities must have regard to the code when setting their arrangements. The High Court held in December 2004 (in The Governing Body of the London Oratory School v The Schools Adjudicator) that there might be times when an admission authority could justify departing from the code's guidance, if it could show good reason for doing so. The court did not rule specifically on the issue of interviewing.
	The existing system effectively combines legislation, code and the adjudicator as a means of allowing some flexibility within limits, and providing a means of considering objections to potentially unfair admission arrangements.

Schools: English Grammar

Lord Pearson of Rannoch: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they will promote the study of English grammar in schools, particularly with regard to the differences between the demonstrative adjective "that" and the relative pronoun "which".

Lord Adonis: There are well established national expectations for what children should achieve as they move through primary school, set out in termly word, sentence and text level objectives. The vast majority of maintained primary schools in England teach these through a daily literacy hour as recommended by the National Literacy Strategy Framework for Teaching.
	The framework for teaching English at KS3 and 4 includes guidance on vocabulary, punctuation, sentence construction, grammar and style. It incorporates key principles and activities for the teaching and learning of writing, including sentence-level grammar, appropriate to individual year groups.

Turkey: Human Rights

Lord Judd: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What discussions they have had with the Government of Turkey on the implications for negotiations for membership of the European Union of the forthcoming trial of Orhan Pamuk, and similar recent trials; and what was the outcome of such discussions.

Lord Triesman: As presidency of the EU, we have raised with the Turkish Government on a number of occasions freedom of expression and our concern over the charges brought against Mr Pamuk and others, including Hrant Dink. Most recently, our ambassador in Ankara raised this with state minister Mehmet Aydin on 8 December, and on 16 December—following the decision of the court to adjourn the case against Orhan Pamuk until 7 February—we released a statement at www.britishembassy.gov.uk/servlet/Front?pagename=OpenMarket/Xcelerate/Showpage&c=Page&cid+1053446566571&a=Karticle&aid=1134648446644, on behalf of the EU registering the Union's continuing concerns over the charges. The trial has been suspended as, under a provision of the old Turkish Penal Code that was in force when Pamuk made his statement, Ministry of Justice approval is required for the trial to proceed. We will continue to urge the Turkish Government to safeguard freedom of expression and to raise this case.
	The negotiating framework agreed by member states that will guide accession negotiations with Turkey states that,
	"the Union expects Turkey to sustain the process of reform and to work towards further improvement in the respect of . . . human rights and fundamental freedoms, including . . . the implementation of provisions relating to freedom of expression".
	Further, it states that,
	"the advancement of negotiations will be guided by Turkey's progress . . . against requirements including the Copenhagen criteria"
	which includes the need for candidates to demonstrate stability of institutions guaranteeing human rights.
	I also refer the noble Lord to the comments by my right honourable friend the Prime Minister and my right honourable friend the Minister for Europe, Douglas Alexander, and to the Adjournment Debate of 15 November on this matter in the other place: Official Report, 23/11/2005; col. 1507; Official Report, 1/11/2005; cols. 714-15; and Official Report, 15/11/2005; cols. 942-50, respectively.

United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights

Lord Hylton: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they will commend the recent statement by the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, concerning torture and access to all prisoners, to the United States Government.

Lord Triesman: The statement by the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights on the occasion of Human Rights Day was public. I am sure that the United States Government are aware of its content.

US Government Aircraft: Use of UK Military Airbases

Lord Oakeshott of Seagrove Bay: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Under what terms aircraft owned by, operated on behalf of, or operated at the request of the United States Government or any of their agencies are permitted to land at military airbases in the United Kingdom; and for how long such permission has been granted.

Lord Drayson: Since 1949 US military and state aircraft have had clearance to land at military airfields in the United Kingdom under a reciprocal arrangement. Application of the arrangement has evolved over the years. Current practice is that aircraft carrying dangerous air cargo or VIPs must notify the MoD prior to arrival.

US Government Aircraft: Use of UK Military Airbases

Lord Oakeshott of Seagrove Bay: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	(a) whether they have the right to know the names of passengers on all aircraft owned by, operated on behalf of, or operated at the request of the United States Government or any of their agencies which land at United Kingdom military airbases, whether for refuelling, transit or any other purposes; (b) whether, if they have such a right, it has been exercised in the past five years and, if so, in respect of how many passengers; (c) whether they will request the names of such passengers who have landed in the United Kingdom in 2005; and (d) whether, if they have no such right to request names, they will take steps to acquire it.

Lord Drayson: The Immigration Service may require passenger information in respect of any person arriving in the United Kingdom by ship or aircraft, including transit passengers, members of the crew and others not seeking to enter the United Kingdom, in order to determine whether they are eligible for leave to enter. However it is not the practice of the Immigration Service to require the details of passengers unless they intend to disembark in the UK. The Immigration Service considers its powers sufficient for the purposes of maintaining an effective immigration control.

Zimbabwe: Immigration Removals

Baroness D'Souza: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the reply by the Lord Triesman on 10 November (HL Deb, cols. 719–22), whether deportations from the United Kingdom of Zimbabwean citizens to Harare would be in breach of the 1951 United Nations Convention on the Status of Refugees and Article 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights which preclude refoulement to any country where torture or ill treatment is likely.

Baroness Scotland of Asthal: I refer the noble Baroness to the Statement I made on 14 December 2005 (Official Report, cols. 134-6).